Portable clothes and like support



Nov. 3, 1959 R. M. WEEEBROD PORTABLE CLOTHES AND LIKE SUPPORT Filed Dec. 10, 1956 United States Patent Zurrer Silks (Dar-wen) Limited, Darwen,-England, a

- British company 7 Application December 10, 1956, Serial No. 627,392 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-96) This invention relates to clothes supports, which can be folded up into a small space for storage or for easy packing when traveling.

Foldable clothes hangers are known, and usually take' the form of an inverted LI-shaped bar with a central hook, the arms of the U being capable of folding to lie against each other so as to'occupy a minimum of space.

Such hangers, however, must be hooked to a's'uitable support, for examplea rod in a wardrobe or a complementary hook orthe like provided on a surface such as a door or wall, and in the latter instance any articles which may be hungon the hanger are close to or hang against such surface. 7

It isi'an object of-the present invention to provide an improved clothes support which can be secured to a wall or like surface so that any clothes supported thereby are spaced from such surface.

According to the present invention a clothes support comprises an elongated member having at one end thereof means for securing it to a wall or like surface so that said member stands out therefrom, the end of the member remote from the securing means having secured thereto a clothes hanger comprising two parts which extend substantially at right angles to said member when in use but which may be folded alongside said member when not in use.

The securing means may comprise one or more suction pads or an apertured projection may be provided for engaging a hook, screw, nail or the like.

One particularly advantageous use of the invention would be for supporting a shirt or like garment of nylon or other quick drying hydrophobic fibre over a sink or wash basin after it has been washed, the fact that the hanger is spaced from the surface ensuring that the damp article does not become soiled by contact with the wall and that water dripping from the article does not run down the wall. For example a person traveling may wish to wash out a nylon shirt in a hotel bedroom before retiring, in which case the shirt, after washing, may be hung on a clothes support in accordance with the invention which has been secured to the wall above the wash basin. The water dripping from the shirt then falls directly into the wash basin and at the same time the shirt hangs freely in the air so that full advantage may be taken of the quick drying properties of the nylon.

The member may be provided with one or more additional arms on which may be hung for drying such articles as socks, stockings or neck-ties.

In one embodiment one suction pad is used and two additional arms are provided which are arranged to contact the wall below the suction pad to enable the member to be maintained approximately at right angles to the wall or surface to which the clothes support is secured.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes support in accordance with the invention.

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Figure 2 is a side view partly in section of the clothes support of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken from the suction pad end of the clothes support.

The clothes support comprises a member 1 which is preferably moulded from plastic and conveniently has a T-shaped cross-section for stiffness. The right-hand end of member 1 is provided with a knot-like projection 2 to which is fitted a rubber suction pad 3 adapted to be held by suction to a plane surface such as a wall, mirror or the like, so that the member 1 stands out substantially at right angles to such a surface- At the end of member 1 remote from the suction pad 3' there is a boss 4 having two holes 5 extending vertically therethrough, in each of which is rotatably secured a wire arm 6. The wire arms 6 when in the position shown in Figure 1 together form a hanger for a shirt, coat or the like. The ends 7 of the arms 6 are deformed by pinching to prevent them fr'om becoming detached and preferably these ends 7 are protected with small rubber or plastic caps 8. The free ends of arms 6 are also provided with similar caps 15. V For packing, the arms 6 are rotated in the holes 5 until they take up the position shown in Figure a projection 10 on the member 1.

" The member 1 is provided with a second bossll having two holes 12 extending horizontally therethrough, in which there are rotatably secured two arms 13 in a manner similar to that of arms 6. In the open position shown in full line in Figure 1, these arms 13 abut against a projection 14 (see Figure 3) and thereby provide a pair of horizontal arms the free ends of which are protected by rubber or plastic caps 16. The arms 13 may be used to support such articles of clothing as socks, stockings and neck-ties.

The arms 13 also serve a further purpose in that they are each provided with a thick rubber or plastic sleeve 17 which bears against the surface to which the suction pad 3 is secured. The arms 13 thereby assist the suction pad 3 in supporting the member 1 and the weight of an clothing on the arms.

Figure 3 shows the left arm 13 in the folded position, the arms being bent at various places to pass round the suction pad 3. The right arm is shown in the opened position.

The member 1.is also provided with a projection 18 having a hole therein so that the clothes support may be supported by a hook, screw or nail, secured to a wall, door or the like. In this way a more permanent fixture gray be obtained as may for example be required in the ome.

The arms may be made for example of brass or steel Wire, and preferably they are treated against tarnishing or rusting as the case might be by electroplating or coating with a protective material such as plastic.

If the clothes to be supported are likely to be heavy two or more suction pads may be provided, the member 1 being modified to accommodate them.

What I claim is: r

1. A portable clothes support comprising an elongated member, a suction pad fixed to one end of said member and adapted to secure said member to a wall like surface so that said member stands out substantially normally therefrom, to clothes hanger parts pivotaliy secured to the end of said member remote from said suction pad and arranged to extend substantially at right angles to said member when in use but which may be folded alongside said member when not in use, said member adjacent said suction pad end having a small downward extension provided with two horizontal holes below said suction pad, and a pair of additional clothes supporting arms each having a right angle portion which passes through and pivots in a respective one of said horizontal holes, a portion passing substantially along said wall surface and adapted to abut against said wall surface below said suction pad to give support to said clothes support and a portion extending at right angles to said wall surface for providing said additional clothes support, said additional arms being adapted to fold against said member by pivoting in said horizontal holes,

2. A portable clothes support comprising an elongated member, a suction pad fixed to one end of said member and adapted to secure said member to a wall like surface so that said member stands out substantially normally therefrom, two clothes hanger parts pivotally secured to the end of said member remote from said suction pad and arranged to extend substantially at right angles to said member when in use but which may be folded alongside said member when not in use, said member adjacent said suction pad end having a small downward extension provided with two horizontal holes below said suction pad, and a pair of additional clothes supporting arms each having a right angle portion which passes through and pivots in a respective one of said horizontal holes, a portion passing substantially along said wall surface and carrying a resilient sleeve member which is adapted to abut against said wall surface below said suction pad to give support to said clothes support, and a portion extending at right angles to said wall surfaces for providmg said additional clothes support, said additional arms being adapted to fold against said member by pivoting in said horizontal holes.

3. A portable clothes support comprising an elongated member, a suction pad aflixed to one end of said member adapted to secure said member to a wall like surface so that said member stands out substantially normally therefrom, said one end also being provided with a boss having two horizontal bores and said other end of said member being provided with a boss having two vertical bores, two clothes hanger parts extending horizontally and at right angles to said member when in use, each having a vertical portion passing through and pivoting in a corresponding one of said vertical bores, enabling said hanger parts to be folded'alongside said member when not in use, and a pair of additional clothes supporting arms, each having a right angle portion which passes through and pivots in a respective one of said horizontal bores, a portion passing substantially along said wall surface and adapted to abut against said wall surface below said suction pad to give support to said clothes support, and a portion extending at right angles to said wall surface for providing said additional clothes support, said additional arms being adapted to fold against said member by pivoting in said horizontal bores.

ReferencesrCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,509,759 Huber Sept. 23, 1924 2,315,566 {Watral Apr, 6, 1943 2,484,535 Stader Oct. 11, 1949 2,596,054 Tallman May 6, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS,

365,249 Great Britain ?Jan. 21, 1932 

